Marquise Williams doesn’t have to be the hero anymore.
In the past two seasons, the North Carolina quarterback was in many situations where he had to carry his team when he set 18 school records.
But as the fifth-year senior looks forward to what the upcoming season has in store for him, Williams knows this is what his whole career has been leading up to.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback says he is the healthiest he has been since his sophomore year of high school, and his coaches believe he has finally reached the maturity level expected of him.
“Just watching Marquise mature as a quarterback — and that’s in every aspect of what’s going on — it doesn’t mean he still doesn’t make mistakes,” Coach Larry Fedora said. “But he understands now when a mistake is made whether it’s him or anybody.
“The cliche that the game has slowed down, what it really means is that a guy has become comfortable. The game hasn’t slowed down, but his decision-making process is so much faster.”
Williams hopes to ditch the stigma of savior in order to get his teammates involved — but also in an effort to protect his body.
“Whatever my team needs me to do, I’m going to do it,” Williams said. “There were times last year where everyone was covered, and I ran. I could have dumped it out, but I didn’t. I just took on the role of trying to be the hero.
“That’s not what it’s about this year.”
